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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220774">Certain Peril</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chemical_Pixie/pseuds/Chemical_Pixie'>Chemical_Pixie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Certain Peril, Coming of Age, Drama, F/F, F/M, Gen, Harry Potter Next Generation, Minor Character(s), Mystery, Survivors of Second Wizarding War, The heat - Freeform, Time Travel, Timey-Wimey, based on Safety Not Guaranteed film</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:47:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chemical_Pixie/pseuds/Chemical_Pixie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>|[ WANTED: Somebody to time travel with me. This is not a trick. PO Box 8463 The Avenue, Bellbridge, M4 61C. Negotiable pay; will compensate upon return. Must use your own weapons. Certain peril awaits. I have only done this once before. ]|</p>
<p>Along with her supervisor, Cho Chang, and the new intern, Teddy Lupin, Maisie Cattermole investigates an advert in a Muggle newspaper.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cho Chang/Original Character(s), Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Advert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on the film Safety Not Guaranteed. No copyright infringement intended.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is not a trick.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong>~Maisie~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Voldemort ruined my childhood.</p><p>Okay, so he ruined many childhoods. But mine included.</p><p>I suppose that was how I ended up here. In the most boring office of the most boring division of the most boring department in the most boring form of government known to wizardkind.</p><p>When Voldemort went from a figure of your nightmares to your secret supreme ruler, things got a little fucked up. Especially when he let people set up a commission to go after your mother. Life was never really the same after that day. I had to protect. Survive. And ultimately let go of my hopes and dreams because they didn’t make things better. They only disappointed.</p><p>Besides, I had very little choice in being a bureaucrat. Everything else was too horrible. Business required too much go-getting. Teaching required too much organization. Journalism was too wordy. The wizarding world didn’t have a wide variety of careers.</p><p>My dad wouldn’t let me follow in his footsteps and apply for Magical Maintenance. I didn’t know why he didn’t allow me. After all, I’d been cleaning up other people’s shit since I was seven.</p><p>Today, my boss meant to garner a little more excitement by bringing in doughnuts to work. Except she brought them in once I had already sat down in the conference room, which meant that I would have to leave my chair, walk across the room in front of everyone, take a doughnut, and walk back.</p><p>As delicious and mouth watering as doughnuts were, they weren’t worth the effort right now.</p><p>Frankly, not much of anything was worth any effort at all.</p><p>Why get your hopes up when they would inevitably be crushed?</p><p>Expect the worst. You’ll never be disappointed.</p><p>I tapped my quill on the table as my team and I waited for our final member to arrive. My painted fingernails were starting to chip. Ellie was going to have a fit and probably insist on repainting them.</p><p>Who was I kidding?</p><p>She was <em>definitely</em> going to insist that she redo them. And Alfie would insist that they choose the color.</p><p>Sometimes my siblings were too much.</p><p>Cho Chang, who was wearing sunglasses, finally trudged into the conference room with a young bloke sporting turquoise hair trailing behind her. I caught a whisper of “This must be the new intern.” Cho and the kid sat down across next to me, but not before each grabbing a doughnut for themselves. The guy had taken the last chocolate one, causing me to clench my toes in my shoes. </p><p>“Good morning everyone,” our boss, Myra Curio said brightly. There was a chorus of rather enthusiastic good mornings. Most of my colleagues were feasting on their doughnuts.</p><p>My stomach grumbled.</p><p>“First, I’d like to introduce our latest addition to the office,” Myra said. “This is--”</p><p>There was a knock at the door, and a balding man immediately entered. “Sorry to interrupt, Curio,” he began unapologetically, “but the Aurors have this room booked at half past. Are you going to be done by then?”</p><p>Myra crossed her arms as the room held their breaths. “Of course. We wouldn’t dream of going over our allotted time,” she said with annoyance.</p><p>“Great. Auror Leach wants to come in five minutes early to set up, too, so don’t mind him,” the man said before closing the door.</p><p>“Bloody Aurors, thinking they own the bloody place,” grumbled Derek Perkins next to me.</p><p>“What a bunch of arseholes,” agreed Gareth Minchum in a gravelly voice.</p><p>Myra cleared her throat. “Anyway, it’s my pleasure to introduce to you Teddy Lupin, here with the Magical Interns program. He’ll be with us for the first three months of his departmental internship.” She gestured toward the new guy. “Come on, Teddy, please tell everyone a little bit about yourself.”</p><p>The new guy hesitantly stood up. “Uh, wotcher, everyone. I’m Teddy Lupin, and… uh, I’m happy to be here,” he said nervously.</p><p>“Come on, Ted. Tell us something interesting about yourself!” Derek exclaimed. “It’s nice to have a fresh face in the office. The freshest one we’ve had before you was Maisie, and she’s been here for, what, nearly six years now?” Derek slapped me on the back, and I felt color rush to my cheeks.</p><p>“Well, I’m double jointed,” Teddy offered. </p><p>“And you’re a Metamorphmagus,” Cho muttered before taking a sip of coffee from her infamous stainless steel thermos. Whenever I saw it in her hand, I knew we were in for a roller coaster of a day.</p><p>Teddy blushed. “Yeah, I am.”</p><p>“Change your appearance, Teddy!” called out Gareth Minchum. </p><p>“Maybe later,” Myra interjected. “We’re already behind schedule. Don’t want to run late.” She began to pass out papers. We went over the usual reports of raids and the usual reminder to write legibly on all forms of paperwork. Many of my colleagues spoke about the raids we’d been on during the last month. I didn’t raise my hand and was therefore not selected to share.</p><p>Thank Merlin.</p><p>“Now, I want to get to the juicy bit of the meeting. This is to remain confidential, okay? My partner and I found this in a Muggle newspaper, and I think this is exactly what this office needs,” Myra said conspiratorially. There was a little jig in her step as she handed out one last piece of paper.</p><p>I glanced down at the paper. It was a copy of a classified advert.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>WANTED: Somebody to time travel with me. This is not a trick. PO Box 8463 The Avenue, Bellbridge, M4 61C. Negotiable pay; will compensate upon return. Must use your own weapons. Certain peril awaits. I have only done this once before.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>“Time Turners were destroyed ages ago. Is this some kind of joke?” Derek scoffed.</p><p>“It says ‘<em>This is not a trick’ </em>right there,” I countered, pointing at the phrase on his copy.</p><p>“How does this have anything to do with our office?” Derek asked, ignoring me.</p><p>Myra grinned. “I think it has <em>everything</em>  to do with this office. We have a person with possible magical ability putting adverts in Muggle newspapers, luring Muggles to <em>‘certain peril,’</em>” she explained. “This is a misuse of a Muggle artefact.”</p><p>“<em>Possible</em> misuse,” Garth amended. “Maybe the person’s rebuilt a Time Turner or something.”</p><p>Myra nodded, brushing his comment aside. “Right. I want a few of you to track this person. See who he is. He could be some bonkers Muggle--or a deliberate wizard.”</p><p>“I’ll go,” Cho said immediately in a husky voice, speaking up for the first time since Teddy the intern’s introduction. She leaned forward in her chair with rapt attention, knuckles white from clenching onto the advert. Her sunglasses were even sitting atop her head, leaving her bloodshot eyes gazing determinedly towards our boss.</p><p>“Done,” Myra said.</p><p>“What?” Derek cried. “Cho, you haven’t gone on a raid in months, why--?”</p><p>“Do you <em>really</em> want to sit and watch a PO box in a dumpy Muggle village that will probably never be checked?” Cho said. She took a long drink of her coffee and flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. </p><p>“I think this is a perfect assignment for our new intern,” Myra continued brightly, as if the exchanged between Derek and Cho never happened. I nearly burst out laughing. We hadn’t had anyone join our team since I started; Myra must have been desperate to assign Teddy on something this mildly interesting. “Cho, you can have one other person.”</p><p>Cho poorly hid a smug smile as she set down her thermos with a clink. It sounded empty. She would need reinforcements soon, otherwise she’d be a right pain. Cho glanced around the room, milking the moment. Gareth looked like he was about to wet himself with wanting to be chosen. I sunk lower in my chair.</p><p>“Maisie,” Cho finally said, dark eyes shining towards me.</p><p>“What?” Gareth protested as I groaned. </p><p>“Sorry, I can’t,” I said quickly. “I have to lose a few fingers to a Hippogriff tomorrow--”</p><p>“Oh, Maisie, ever the jokester,” laughed Myra, smiling down at me. I gave her a blank stare. </p><p>“I think Maisie’s perfect,” Cho said slowly. “We need her enthusiasm.”</p><p>I pinched myself, certain that this was some hellacious nightmare. </p><p>Nope. I was wide awake.</p><p>
  <em>‘This is not a trick.’</em>
</p><p>“Right. Cho, Maisie, and Teddy,” Myra said happily, scribbling our names down in her record book, before I could even retort. “If this bloke’s legit, we’ll have the case of the century. Think of what it could mean for this office! Take <em>that</em>, Aurors!”</p><p>As if on cue, Auror Leach entered the conference room. “Our meeting’s in five,” he said with his nasally voice.</p><p>Myra cleared her throat. “All right, everyone. Make sure you take your confidential documents with you as you leave. Cho, arrange a meeting with your team. I want you out in the field tomorrow.”</p><p>I heard Auror Leach snort as Cho voiced her affirmation. Myra waved her hands, and suddenly the team was dispersing.</p><p>“Some people have all the luck,” grumbled Gareth as he brushed past me.</p><p>“Have fun working with <em>Cho</em>,” said Derek, clapping me on the back again. “Make sure your discrepancy funds aren’t all spent in the pub, okay?”</p><p>I muttered some response as I gathered my papers before walking behind everyone exiting the room. Pausing by the snack table, my hand hovered over the plate of doughnuts. Frosted or powdered were the only choices left.</p><p>“Excuse me, we’re starting soon. Can I have the room?” snapped Auror Leach.</p><p>I looked over at him and slowly grabbed a powdered doughnut. Raising an eyebrow, I took a bite out of it. Powdered sugar fell onto my front and clung to the corners of my lips. The Auror rolled his eyes and continued to spread out rolls of parchment. Aurors were the absolute worst.</p><p>“Mmm, so good,” I said, smacking my lips.</p><p>With that, I left the Auror in his precious conference room. Cho and Teddy were waiting for me in the corridor.</p><p>“Right,” Cho said, jumping right in. Her sunglasses were back over her eyes. “We have a lot of work to do before setting off to Bellbridge. Meet me at my desk in our office in fifteen minutes.” With a flair of her cloak, Cho bounded down the corridor in the opposite direction of our office.</p><p>Teddy turned to me, extending his hand. “Hi. I’m Teddy Lupin, but you already know that.”</p><p>“Maisie Cattermole,” I said, brushing my sugary fingers on my robes before taking his hand. I pulled Teddy aside, narrowly avoiding a group of Aurors bounding into the conference room.</p><p>“Er, where’s she going?” Teddy asked, nodding after our team lead. Cho marched past some Hit Wizards, who sniggered after her.</p><p>I rolled my eyes. “To get more coffee.” And to have a smoke, but I didn’t want to initiate Teddy on Cho’s habits during his first day here. That would come soon enough.</p><p>“Oh, okay… And, uh, where’s Cho’s desk?”</p><p>Of course no one had given Teddy a tour of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. Before I could answer, an Auror said from the doorway of the conference, “Take your conversation somewhere else. Can’t you see that a meeting’s started here?”</p><p>Ugh, maybe some time out of the office and in the field would be a good thing.</p><p>Too bad good things never lasted. </p><p>
  <strong><br/>
<br/>
</strong>
</p><p>--</p><p>
  <strong></strong><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>That night, the clinks of our forks against the china plates filled the dining room. Occasionally, my dad, Reg Cattermole, would hum his enjoyment of the food. I mostly picked away at the pasta, thinking with dread about tomorrow.</p><p>“Mm, Mais, you’ve really outdone yourself today,” Dad said as he spooned another ladle full of pasta onto his plate. “What did you do with the vegetables? They’re exquisite.” </p><p>Shrugging, I took a sip of water. “We were out of tins, so I found some frozen ones in the freezers,” I answered.</p><p>“You’ll have to buy some more,” my dad said between bites, “the next time you’re at the supermarket.”</p><p>I voiced me agreement, stabbing a head of broccoli. The meeting with Cho and Teddy went well enough, but Cho wanted us out in the field at seven o’clock the next morning. I had a feeling we wouldn’t be back until late.</p><p>“D’you know where they are?” Dad asked, swigging his pasta down with some beer. He gestured to the three empty seats at the table.</p><p>I shrugged again. “They’ll be ‘round tomorrow, I’m sure,” I answered. At least, that’s what their texts from earlier told me. </p><p>Dad nodded, putting the rest of his third helping of pasta into his mouth. “‘At’s ‘ood,” he said with his mouth full. As soon as he finished chewing, he stifled a belch and rose from his seat. “Gonna catch the end of the match.”</p><p>And with that, I was alone in the dining room, surrounded by empty plates and bowls. The ticking from old family clock filled the room before the muffle from the telly came from the living room. I stared at the clock for a few moments.</p><p>Was time travel possible?</p><p>Of course it was. The wizarding world once had Time Turners.</p><p>But was this advert writer for real? Were they actually able to time travel? Were they seriously looking for someone to go with them?</p><p>“Nah,” I muttered before standing up to clear away the table.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: Thanks for indulging my time travel plunny! For those of you wondering what Safety Not Guaranteed is, it's an incredible film, and I highly recommend watching it!</p><p>That being said, anything you recognize belongs to its respective creators.</p><p> </p><p>Please let me know your thoughts!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Stake Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Strike me down now, universe!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong>~Maisie~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>There was always a moment, right before waking, when I was weightless. Coming out of a dream, my mind floated, half aware that my thoughts were only a reverie and half ignorant of the jolt of realization soon to come. There, I was content. There, I was cocooned by blankets, pillows, and my mattress. I didn’t have to do anything but lie there, accepting their warmth, their softness.</p><p>Sometimes I stretched, relishing in the way my blood flowed into the furthest ends of my body. A sigh of relief. The darkness behind my eyelids. My muted consciousness.</p><p>It never lasted long enough.</p><p>Usually, my alarm would blare, bringing me back to the conscious world. Back to what I could never escape.</p><p>Other times, my mind betrayed me, thinking of some chore or errand I needed to do.</p><p>Today, however, my jolt to back consciousness was a dull thud coming from somewhere on the other side of my room. And like that, my sleepy weightlessness was crushed by the reality of everything.</p><p>Groaning, I lifted my head and squinted. A pair of feet were sticking out of my wardrobe.</p><p>“The fuck?” I grunted. I sat up to get a better look. “Ellie! What the bloody hell are you doing here—at <em>five thirty in the morning</em>?”</p><p>Ellie staggered out of my wardrobe, brow furrowed and holding a pile of dark clothes. She then unceremoniously threw the pile onto my bed.</p><p>“I need something drab to go with my punk look today,” she sighed dramatically. She flipped her curtain of long blonde hair over her shoulder.</p><p>“And you decided to go through <em>my</em> wardrobe?”</p><p>“Naturally,” Ellie replied, “but I’ve come across a problem.”</p><p>“Oh?” I yawned. “And what would that be?”</p><p>Ellie lifted two items of clothing from the pile. “I can’t decide which article of your clothing is the most drab. It’s utterly depressing.” </p><p>I rolled my eyes. Ellie disappeared into my wardrobe again and came back with a teal exercise top and navy blue bottoms. “And,” she said sternly, “why did I find these stuffed in the back of your wardrobe? I gave them to you last Christmas!” </p><p>She threw the exercise clothes at me, and I caught them before they hit me in the face. “I dunno,” I mumbled. “I haven’t gotten ‘round to going to the gym, I guess.”</p><p>Ellie sat down next to me on the bed. Her blue eyes searched mine, and I knew what she was going to say before she said it. “Mais, you’ll feel a lot better if you exercise regularly.”</p><p>Feel better and look better. Her eyes said both things. I added the exercise clothes to the “drabby” pile at the foot of my bed and crawled over her. Lifting my shirt, I poked my stomach. “See how it jiggles? That doesn’t come easily.”</p><p>At that moment, our middle sibling made their appearance. Alfie paraded into the room, levitating a chocolate chocolate-frosted cake. “Ooh, Mais, are you going to wear your birthday suit for your special day?”</p><p>Alfie gestured their free hand towards my exposed stomach. I quickly dropped my shirt back down. “No,” I said firmly, keeping down a blush. “I’m just showing Ellie here how much work it takes to maintain my figure.”</p><p>“Hey, you do you, honey bun,” they said.</p><p>Ellie rolled her eyes and stood next to Alfie. “Just kidding, Mais! I was just trying to stall you--I don’t really need your clothes. We wanted to catch you early!”</p><p>My siblings exchanged conspiratorial looks before looking at me. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAISIE!” they shouted. Ellie waved her wand, lighting the candles on the levitated cake.</p><p>“Shh! You’ll wake up Dad!” I hissed.</p><p>“Please,” Alfie scoffed, flicking their dark hair out of their eyes. “He’s downstairs, fast asleep in front of the telly.”</p><p>“Again?” I said, stomach sinking, chest tightening, panic rising. “I’d better go get him to bed--”</p><p>“Not so fast, Mais! We have to sing our song to you!” Ellie practically pushed me back onto my bed as both my siblings lingered over me with my hovering birthday cake.</p><p>“You-you really don’t have to,” I said.</p><p>“Oh but I think we do.” Alfie cleared their throat. “This is our starting note,” they chanted, and Ellie matched their pitch. Together, they both sang:</p><p><em>“As the Wheel of Time turns on,<br/></em> <em>We’ll sing to you this birthday song<br/></em> <em>Round and round the Time Wheel spins<br/></em> <em>So receive this blessing from your kin:<br/></em> <em>We wish you wisdom, we wish you grace,<br/></em> <em>We wish you beauty upon your face</em><br/><em>And if this year your time runs out,<br/></em> <em>We will miss you without a doubt!”</em></p><p>As they finished, they broke into harmony, and Ellie sent yellow sparks from the tip of her wand. I watched them land on my exposed skin, feeling their tickling warmth. Alfie lowered the cake to my face level. The icing spelled out “<em>Have an A-Maisie-ng Day!</em>” in wobbly red letters.</p><p>“Make a wish, Mais!” Alfie cried, levitating the cake dangerously close to my nose.</p><p>What could I possibly wish for? I hadn’t thought about making wishes since… probably my last birthday. I supposed I could have wished for world peace or for the cure for cancer or something of the sort, but instead I silently thought, <em>I wish I knew what I want.</em></p><p>The candle flicked before being extinguished completely, it’s tendrils of smoke dissipating before they reached my siblings’ faces. They both cheered, and Ellie grabbed the plate and set it on my lap.</p><p>“Selfie time!” she cried, steering Alfie beside me and pulling them downwards. Ellie’s gaze studied the both of us. “Maisie, your hair’s a mess. Here.” She pulled out my falling pony tail and ruffled my hair.</p><p>“It’s not even six!” I protested. “Do we have to do this?”</p><p>Alfie adjusted their collar and flicked their hair out of their eyes. Ellie took out her mobile and positioned it in front of the three of us. “Of course we do!” she answered. “It’s always good to let your followers know a little bit about your personal life.”</p><p>I rolled my eyes. “Ellie, your whole Instagram is about your personal life,” I countered.</p><p>“Think of the cake, Maisie. The cake!” Alfie interjected. “The sooner we take this picture, the sooner we eat.” </p><p>My grumbling stomach couldn’t compete with that logic. Upon seeing her image on her mobile’s screen, Ellie smoothed her hair once and said, “Say ‘Cheese!’”</p><p>She scrutinized the photograph immediately after taking it. “Alfie, your eyes are half closed. And my smile’s weird--is that a double chin?!” Ellie tried to smooth down the skin beneath her chin. “We’re taking this again.”</p><p>I groaned but felt my lips tug upward as Ellie held her mobile in front of us again.</p><p>It took us three more tries before Ellie posted our picture on her Instagram. Her caption read: <em>Happy birthday Maisie! @FieAl_MolerCat and I surprised our older #sister with a pre-dawn #cake. I hope this year treats you well, Maisie, you deserve it! #birthdaysurprises #lovemysister #siblinglove #blessed #earlymorning #homemadecake #lifestyle #nofilter</em></p><p>Alfie made sure to cut me an extra large slice of cake.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~Teddy~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>I honestly didn’t know what to expect.</p><p>Stake outs were definitely never taught in Transfiguration or Potions classes. How did one dress? Did one bring snacks? Or have bathroom breaks? Or use omnioculars? Was I even qualified for this? There were so many questions I forgot to ask yesterday--and it had been my first day on the job. Now if I was underprepared in a way, shape, or form, I would probably melt into oblivion and hope the universe forgot my existence. How could I have been so stupid?</p><p>Last night, when I was trying to go to bed but ended up pacing in the living room to the point where I nearly drove Gran mad, she showed me a charm to shrink my backpack to pocket-size in case bringing backpacks weren’t part of protocol.</p><p>Inside my currently-normally-sized backpack I had three large water bottles, a thermos of coffee, two bags of crisps (with a charm to keep them from getting squashed), a tin of homemade biscuits, three chicken salad sandwiches, six apples, chewing gum, a first aid kit, a book of crossword puzzles, a pack of pens, two clipboards (in case Cho and Maisie wanted to do a crossword at the same time as me), a pair of sunglasses, an umbrella, an extra pair of socks, and a sweater. </p><p>I prayed to Merlin that this was enough for the first day of a stake out.</p><p>However, as I walked up The Avenue in the village of Bellbridge from my Apparition point, it hit me: what if the stake out was an overnight affair? I only had wizarding money and no changes of clothes. Would I be allowed to pop back to Gran’s and get some more supplies?</p><p>These thoughts churned in my stomach. I didn’t think I was going to make it through the day. </p><p>I crammed my sweaty palms into my trousers as I approached Maisie. The blonde was outside the closed hardware store across the street from the post office with the PO box from the advert. She was leaning against the slightly dusty shop window, staring off in the opposite direction from me and rhythmically tapping her foot. To my relief, she was wearing Muggle clothes, like I was, and had a shoulder bag next to her.</p><p>“Wotcher, Maisie!” I said, unable to keep a cheerful grin off my face.</p><p>She continued to stare off into the distance, but I was close enough to hear her humming. I noticed that she had white strings coming out of her ears and dangled down to her pocket. Muggles had those things to listen to music, I knew.</p><p>“Wotcher, Maisie!” I said a little louder. And this time she heard me.</p><p>“All right, Teddy?” Maisie took out her white strings (I thought they were called earbuds) and glanced over at me. “Like the hair change.”</p><p>My hand ran through my chestnut locks. “Thanks! I thought it would be, er, more inconspicuous than the turquoise.”</p><p>“You’re all set for our stake out, then.”</p><p>“I hope so.” I laughed nervously. “I… uh, brought coffee and some snacks. And crosswords!” I blurted.</p><p>
  <em>Strike me down now, universe!</em>
</p><p>Maisie gave a small smile. “Good. I have a feeling we’ll need something to preoccupy our time.”</p><p>I couldn’t think of anything to say to that so I set down my backpack next to her bag.</p><p>“Coffee would be great,” she continued. “I’ve… had an early morning.”</p><p>My shaking hands could barely keep their cool as I poured her a steaming cup of Gran’s dark roasted coffee. Maisie accepted it with gratitude and sat down on the curb. I hastily poured myself some coffee and joined her. </p><p>Our awkward silence grew into a comfortable one as we sipped our drinks. The little village was beginning to stir with some life as people waddled out of their homes to go to work. Yesterday, Cho had assured us that she would swing by after work and cast a spell in our area that would alleviate some Muggle suspicion of our presence, and it seemed like she stayed true to her word.</p><p>However, as it approached a quarter to eight, Cho was nowhere to be seen. And the post office wasn’t even open yet, so we hadn’t spotted any potential leads. </p><p>Maisie checked her smartphone and sighed. I noticed that she had some blurbs alerting her of some messages, but she was only texting one person: Cho.</p><p>“It’s really neat that you and Cho use Muggle technology like that,” I said lightly.</p><p>Maisie shrugged. “It’s an Office policy, but <em>I</em> seem to be the <em>only</em> one following it because <em>Cho</em> isn’t answering any of <em>my</em> texts!” she exclaimed as another notification buzzed across her screen. I glanced away, not wanting to be nosy at who else could be contacting her. Were they from other Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office employees?</p><p>“I hope she’s okay,” I said, digging my toe into the pavement. “She seemed like she wasn’t feeling very well yesterday.”</p><p>At that, Maisie snorted. I chanced another look at her, and she was grimacing. <em>Oh god, did I say the wrong thing? </em>Before I would think of something to rectify my complete incompetence, she said, “Hangovers’ll do that to you.”</p><p>My eyes widened. “W-what?”</p><p>Her eyes met mine. Maisie sighed. “I wanted to spare you from this for a bit longer, since you’re new, but Cho… Cho is a great person, she really is. Talented, smart, very overqualified for her position. But she’s also unpredictable, due to some of her life choices.”</p><p>It took me a moment to realize that my jaw was dropped. Maisie patted my shoulder. “With Cho, it’s best to pick your battles. You’ll get good at figuring out which battles are worth fighting for.”</p><p>“Oh… okay,” I said slowly. “What battles do you usually pick?”</p><p>Maisie looked down at her mobile again. New messages had appeared since the last time she checked, but she ignored them. “I don’t. Others do.” There was a tone of finality in her answer, so I dropped the topic.</p><p>We fell into silence again. I saw a uniformed worker walk slowly up to the post office, pausing in front of the door. She searched her stuffed bag for a good few moments before pulling out a string of keys. The worker took her time unlocking the post office and was even more deliberate in slowly opening the heavy door before disappearing inside. A few minutes went by before the lights switched on, allowing us to see the PO boxes in the front stopwindow. The worker then reappeared behind the front door and switched the closed sign to ‘Open.’</p><p>“We’re in business!” I said cheerfully. </p><p>Maisie looked up from watching a group of ants covering a piece of discarded food. “Brilliant. Now we wait to see if this time traveling person will just so happen to make an appearance,” she sighed, clearly not matching my excitement.</p><p>I didn’t mind, though. Maybe she had done many stake outs before, but this was my first one. While most of me felt like I was entirely under-qualified to be here, I knew it would be interesting to see who this time traveler really was--and if they were legitimate.</p><p>“If you could travel back to any time, where would you do?” I asked. Maisie shrugged, so I gave my answer first. “I’d go back to meet my parents,” I said. “They were both killed in the Battle of Hogwarts when I was a month old, so I never got to know them.”</p><p>At this, Maisie looked up, her blue eyes glinting with a look that I didn’t quite know how to read. “It’s okay, you know,” I said hastily, not wanting to make her feel bad or uncomfortable with my dreary orphan past. “I’ve grown up with my gran, and Harry Potter is my godfather, so life’s been pretty good.”</p><p>Maisie nodded. “Yeah,” she said. She cleared her throat. “I think I’d go back to convince Bernie Bott to refrain from adding the bogie flavor to his jelly beans. Or I’d want to be burned at the stake with Wendelin the Weird.”</p><p>“Really?” I chortled, surprised at her response.</p><p>“Yeah, everything cool’s already happened*,” Maisie retorted.</p><p>At that moment, a shiny, black SUV parked about two meters away from us on our side of the street. The driver’s door opened, and Cho jumped out.</p><p>“Sorry I’m late!” she panted, coming over to us. Maisie and I stood up to greet her. “I had booked this bloody car from the Department of Magical Transportation yesterday morning and confirmed this booking with Wally Smith last night, but was anyone there to give me the keys this morning? Of course not! Waited an hour for someone to finally come and attempt to drown me in more paperwork. Honestly, it’s like I was asking for a bloody flying carpet to go to the moon or something.”</p><p>“You didn’t think of texting us an update?” Maisie asked, annoyed.</p><p>Cho rolled her eyes, which weren’t as bloodshot as yesterday, I noted. “No texting while driving, everyone knows that, Maisie.”</p><p>And so the three of us launched into our first day of the stake out. Both Cho and Maisie loved that I had brought snacks and crosswords for everyone, much to my relief. It seemed like Cho was in a chipper mood, despite the confusion back at the Ministry, and Maisie even chimed in on our causal conversations. While my awkwardness was still as obvious as the color of grass, I began to feel more relaxed as time went on. We enjoyed the sunny morning, watching a few potential leads enter the post office: an old, white haired lady with a cane, a tattooed laborer leaving his toolbox outside, and a heavily pregnant woman with a crying toddler in a stroller.</p><p>Not a single one of them opened PO Box 8463.</p><p>And England being England, the sunshine didn’t last long, either.</p><p>Shortly after noon, the grey clouds rolled in, and it began to rain. Cho directed us into the SUV. I had only been inside a car a few times in my life, so it was exciting to crawl into the backseat, inhaling the industrial smell that I associated with Muggles. When I had asked about what the car was even here, Cho had explained that it would help us blend in and maybe track the alleged time traveler.</p><p>It was around three o’clock when I began to feel deflated. A few more elderly people had entered the post office, and none of them approached the target PO Box. Cho, Maisie, and I had long since fallen into silence, listening to the rain patter against the roof and windows of the car. Cho was now dozing in the driver’s seat, bag of crisps in her hand. Maisie was in the front passenger seat, legs propped up on the dashboard and listening to music on her smartphone. </p><p>My forehead pressed against the cool glass, watching passersby with umbrellas dash past the post office. I had supposed no one wanted to be out in this weather. My eyes were just beginning to go out of focus when someone entered the post office.</p><p>Following Cho’s protocol, I grabbed the pair of binoculars that she had in the car to get a closer look (Cho had magicked the car so that no one could see we were watching them with binoculars). Despite the rain drops covering the glass, I could still see inside the post office very well.</p><p>The dark haired man was alone, and he had his collar up, covering half of his face. His hands were in his pockets as he paused near the wall of PO boxes in the front shop window. Looking cautiously both ways, the man slowly withdrew his hands from his pockets and inserted a small key into 8463.</p><p>I gasped and let out an embarrassing sort of gurgling noise. “Guys, someone’s opening the PO Box! Look!”</p><p>Cho snorted awake, and Maisie ripped her earbuds out of her ears. The pair of them seized their designated binoculars and watched the scene unfold. </p><p>The man took out a single envelope from PO Box 8463. Maisie swore under her breath. He then quickly closed the box and locked it before stuffing both the envelope and the key into his coat pocket. Before we knew it, he was outside and beelining towards a parked red car about ten meters up the street.</p><p>The car’s lights flashed, indicating that he was unlocking it. The man jumped into the car and revved the engine.</p><p>Cho threw her binoculars aside and started our car. “Buckle up, you lot,” she said. “We’re on the move.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Eep! This fic is a bit of a leap for me. One, it's way more humorous than my other writing (at least, I think so, lol). Two, I'm switching POV mid-chapter--and this will be the pattern for the remainder of the story, I think. Many thanks to Kayla for helping me with Ellie's instagram post!</p><p>*indicates dialogue borrowed from the story's inspiration, Safety Not Guaranteed.</p><p>Thoughts on this chapter? You got to meet the Cattermole siblings and explore Teddy's POV! AND THE ALLEGED TIME TRAVELER? Who could he be? Is his Muggle or wizard? Where is he off too? </p><p>Hmmm, ~time~ will tell... Til next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“High speed, lots of traffic, total nightmare."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>~Cho~</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I couldn’t remember the last time I cried.</p>
<p>But that morning, while waiting on Wally Smith from the Department of Magical Transportation to arrive at our agreed upon time so he could lend me the bloody Ministry vehicle, I was pretty damn close to tears. </p>
<p>I could have slept in an extra forty-five minutes.</p>
<p>It had been a late night, getting ready for Bellbridge.</p>
<p>My stomach gave its familiar lurch at this thought of that place. When I had arrived there last night to cast a charm to alleviate Muggle suspicion at the designated stake out place across the street from the alleged time traveler’s PO Box, the darkened streets of this little town hadn’t changed much since the days of my ill spent youth, much to my delight. Maybe… just maybe, the people of Bellbridge hadn’t changed much either.</p>
<p>As the second hand on my wrist watch seemed to slow down, I let out a frustrated huff while blinking away the building pressure behind my eyes. I was supposed to be in Bellbridge by now, and I could feel my mobile buzzing text alerts, probably from Maisie. </p>
<p>Too bad none of the other Offices mandated their workers to carry Muggle mobiles. Texting was particularly useful because it involved no living creature or charm to deliver a message. I twirled my wand around my fingers, contemplating breaking into the Office of Magical Transportation and taking the bloody car keys myself. Instead, I leaned against the wall, tapping my shoe against the shiny floor and listening to its echo down the corridor.</p>
<p>Finally, the lift dinged and Wally Smith swaggered out of it before its door was fully open, carrying a copy of <em>The Daily Prophet </em>under his arm and holding a breakfast sandwich in his hand.</p>
<p>“About time,” I snapped. “You were supposed to be an hour ago!”</p>
<p>“Sorry I’m late,” Wally responded unapologetically, digging around in his cloak’s pocket for his key. “The baby made a right mess in his nappies today, and the wife was trying to brew a potion for our oldest’s cough.”</p>
<p>Of course. Children. The married person’s go-to excuse for absolutely anything and everything.</p>
<p>“How dreadful,” I said drily as I followed him into the empty Department Office. Wally flicked his wand, opening the windows’ shades and letting in pleasant sunlight.</p>
<p>I was supposed to be feeling the sun in Bellbridge at this moment. Watching its villagers, maybe happening upon... I swallowed the growing lump in the back of my throat.</p>
<p>“Think the sun’s going to last today? I forgot my brolly at home,” Wally mused as he put down his things and began shuffling things around to begin our transaction.</p>
<p>“I think so,” I answered. Having looked up the weather on an app when I woke up today, I knew we were forecasted for rain. But Wally deserved to find out the hard way.</p>
<p>He rummaged through a few more papers before lifting a thick stack. “Here we are, prepared last night, ready for this morning!” Wally beamed towards me, and my frown deepened. </p>
<p>“I’ve already done the paperwork,” I said.</p>
<p>“Ah, there’s more, I’m afraid. Recent policy change,” he answered simply.</p>
<p>I raised one of my eyebrows while I suppressed the growing lump in my throat. “I’ve already done the paperwork,” I repeated in a low voice. This was enough of him to do a double take.</p>
<p>“Recent--”</p>
<p>“You were late, Wally. Don’t make me later than I already am,” I interrupted, leaning forward and putting my hand on the stack of alleged paperwork. </p>
<p>“My apologies, but--”</p>
<p>“I’ve borrowed vehicles dozens of times before from you. I have my Muggle driving license. Give me the keys, and Myra Curio can fill out the remaining paperwork. Here,” I paused, digging my driving license out of my wallet. Tapping it with my wand, the license replicated, and I threw the duplicate onto the pile of paperwork. “That should have all the information you or Myra would need. You know that I always return the vehicles in tip top shape. Now, the keys.”</p>
<p>I gazed at him expectantly. Wally gave an uncertain look at my duplicated license and silently mouthed what I assumed to be some sort of retort.</p>
<p>“But, but the policy--” he stammered.</p>
<p>“--can be fulfilled by Myra Curio. Now the keys, Wally. <em>Please</em>.” Wally shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Wally! The keys!”</p>
<p>“I, but I--ugh, fine!” He stood up, and I followed him over to the box where the Department kept their keys. Surprisingly, Wally did not have to shuffle around for the keys, since they were already set aside for my use.</p>
<p><em>Then why the additional bloody paperwork?</em> I took the keys rather forcefully from the wizard’s hand.</p>
<p>“Here, let me show you where--”</p>
<p>“I know where you keep the cars, thank you,” I said stiffly.</p>
<p>“But---”</p>
<p>“It’s black SUV, I know!” I jingled the keys with an air of impatience. </p>
<p>Before I was out of earshot, Wally exclaimed, “What’re you up to in the field, then, Cho? Another wannabe Dark wizard?”</p>
<p>His words made me pause. Slowly, I turned around at him to see if he was taunting me. He didn’t appear to be, as he nervously fidgeted with the papers and my duplicated license. “Let’s hope so,” I answered slowly before turning on my heel and rushing down the corridor to the departmental lift to take me to their garage.</p>
<p>With magical enhancements, the drive up north took me all of twenty minutes. I slowed my speed considerably as I reached the city limits of Bellridge. Glancing at the clock, I believed that the little village was still in the process of awakening, if my memory served me correctly. The main stretch of country road soon turned into The Avenue, and I felt the pull towards Baker’s Lane. </p>
<p>“Don’t do it, don’t do it,” I muttered to myself. “You’re already late, Cho.”</p>
<p>But as I neared the intersection of The Avenue and Baker’s Lane, I made a hard left. “Goddamn it!” I had resisted the urge to go there last night, and I didn’t have the car then. Just one quick look wouldn’t hurt.</p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p>After a line of homes, the business section appeared. My palms were sweaty on the wheel. I imagined myself driving in reverse, trying to blot out this meager attempt of looking into the past. But there was a car behind me, so I was forced to drive onwards. The pub, sweets shop, and the salon were all closed this early in the morning, but the bakery, the namesake of this street, was already open with quite a few customers inside. I kept my vision firmly on the bakery, trying to ignore the rest.</p>
<p>Heart pounding, I drove past the businesses and finally met the rest of my team across the street from the post office. If I had been thinking properly, I would’ve maybe picked up something for the team, but turning down Baker’s Lane when I was already late hadn’t been a good idea. </p>
<p>Maisie expressed her dry annoyance at my lateness, as expected, but Teddy was all too forgiving and understanding. We then proceeded to launch into a rather uneventful stake out.</p>
<p>Things were going fine. More than fine. I had been a little apprehensive that Myra Curio had assigned Teddy Lupin to this case. It was a blatant attempt to boost the Office’s reputation within the Department, with Teddy being the godson of the one and only Harry Potter. To counteract Myra’s attempt of flattery, I had selected Maisie, whose lack of enthusiasm would definitely stifle the attention a case like this would get. That, and Maisie would be able to look after Teddy without sucking up to him.</p>
<p>After all, I was actually back in Bellbridge, after all these years. But sitting here, across the street from the bloody post office, caused me to want to speed away, to never look back on this bloody village. The odds of anyone visiting this PO box were slim, especially since this was probably a hoax. Probably some mental Muggle. I had already finished Teddy’s crossword puzzle that he’d offered me, and I was beginning to go stir crazy. Perhaps I could swing by Baker’s Lane again and--</p>
<p>No, no. I’d already caved once this morning. I’d met my quota of making bad decisions for the day. </p>
<p>Due to a night of little sleep and a stressful morning, the pattering afternoon rain lulled me to sleep as the three of us took shelter in the black SUV. My inner turmoil at being back in Bellridge was temporarily suspended as I dozed.</p>
<p>But then Teddy shook me awake. “Guys, someone’s opening up the PO box! Look!”</p>
<p>I quickly pulled my pair of binoculars to my eyes and watched a dark haired man in a dark jacket take out something from PO box 8463 and promptly leave the premises. He sauntered to a red compact car and peered around his surroundings before diving inside of his vehicle. </p>
<p>My training kicked in. “Buckle up, you lot. We’re on the move.” I started our SUV, watching the red car in my side mirror make a U turn and zoom down the road in our direction. As soon as the man passed us, I entered into the flow of traffic. Thankfully, in a small village like Bellbridge, the traffic was scarce, and no one was there to honk at me as I swerved into the lane.</p>
<p>But then again, lack of traffic also meant that the man might grow suspicious of us. I hoped that the rainy weather would make us appear less obvious.</p>
<p>“Where’s he going?” wondered Teddy, who had settled into the middle seat in the back, so he could see the red car ahead of us.</p>
<p>“Not too sure,” I answered. “Maisie, can you get his license plate?”</p>
<p>“On it,” she mumbled and held up her mobile phone to snap a picture in between windshield wiper swishes.</p>
<p>The red car ahead continued straight, and I quickly realized that we were heading out of Bellbridge. My stomach dropped at the thought. I had spent so much time agonizing getting here and then regretting being here and now that I was leaving, I didn’t want to leave?</p>
<p>What the fuck was wrong with me?</p>
<p>Okay, I definitely didn’t want to answer that one. That list would be too long and very unflattering. </p>
<p>Instead, I gripped the steering wheel as we reached the city limits. The red car sped onwards, and, thus, so did we. </p>
<p>“Did you get his plate?” I asked as Maisie held up her binoculars. The red car momentarily went out of sight due to a long curve ahead.</p>
<p>“Most of it,” Maisie sighed. “The rain’s made it a bit hard to read, even with magical enhancements. I’ll try to get the rest of it if he parks somewhere and it’s not obvious that I’m snooping.”</p>
<p>Thank Merlin Maisie had some sense, probably more sense than the majority of the Office. I merely nodded in reply as the red car came back into view. We continued to drive in silence for a few minutes before we started to near an overpass. The red car turned on its indicator.</p>
<p>“Oh no,” I groaned. “Not the motorway.”</p>
<p>“What’s wrong with that?” questioned Teddy, who had admitted that he’d never really been in a car before today.</p>
<p>“High speed, lots of traffic, total nightmare,” I tried to explain in as few words as possible. Speaking about it further aloud would cause a bit of a panic on my end. Swearing under my breath, I turned on my indicator and followed the red car onto the motorway. The driver didn’t seem to have noticed that we were following him, or if he had noticed us, I hoped he assumed that we were simply driving down the scenic country road to the main motorway because it was the most straightforward stretch of road to get there.</p>
<p>
  <em>Cho, the man placed an advert about time travel in a Muggle newspaper. Do you expect him to be really that reasonable?</em>
</p>
<p>We were screwed.</p>
<p>Apparently, I had shared this thought out loud.</p>
<p>“Why are we screwed?” Teddy gasped.</p>
<p>After blowing out a long stream of air, I replied, “Just thinking out loud. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>I don’t think I convinced Teddy, but I was certain that I did not convince Maisie, who cast me a grimaced side glance.</p>
<p>We continued for a while before the red vehicle turned on its indicator again right before the Hollinside Road exit. There were a few cars between us as a way to better disguise our pursuit (and a way to quell my anxiety). But no cars between us indicated their exit, so we were now behind the red vehicle again. The area was significantly more urban; I was fairly sure we were really close to Gateshead.</p>
<p>Maisie confirmed that was where we were as we stopped at the traffic light. Through the windshield wipers and the splotches of raindrops, I could see the man in the red vehicle waving his arms in an odd fashion. Every so often, his head would follow in motion of his arms.</p>
<p>“...The hell?” I muttered to myself. The others seemed to catch on, too, since Teddy leaned forward in his seat, squinting at the flailing man in front of us. </p>
<p>This was our guy?</p>
<p>Merlin’s fucking beard.</p>
<p>Finally, the light turned green, and we followed the red car as it zoomed straight ahead, driving towards a giant mall, intu Metrocentre, and other large shopping centres. </p>
<p>“D’you reckon he’s doing his shopping now?” inquired Maisie, who voiced my precise thoughts. </p>
<p>“Seems so,” I said slowly as the man tapped on his brake lights before turning on his indicator again to turn left. I was pretty sure he followed the driving laws better than I did. I waited to turn on my indicator until I saw him pull into the car park for the IKEA, its bright yellow letters glowing amongst the gloom surrounding us. </p>
<p>“Ick-eh-ah?” Teddy said hesitantly. I could see his wide eyes from my rearview mirror.</p>
<p>“Eye-key-uh,” corrected Maisie. “It’s a furniture store.” She paused, her blue eyes studying the gigantic building in front of us. “Well, more like a warehouse.”</p>
<p>Teddy and Maisie dove into a light conversation on the merits of warehouses, but I kept my attention on the compact, red car, which had parked on a side aisle of the car park, in a section marked for employees. Did this man work for IKEA? Or was he one of the arseholes who parked wherever was most convenient? Luckily, the car park was already pretty filled and the weather was still pretty rainy, so it wouldn’t look too suspicious if I drove past our potential suspect. It would be as if I were trying to find a close parking spot to the store.</p>
<p>“Maisie,” was all that I could manage to say, but my partner enacted on her job training, stopped her small talk with Teddy, and took it from there.</p>
<p>I slowed down the SUV--as one would do in a car park, and Maisie slumped against her passenger side window, instantly looking bored out of her goddamn mind (which wasn’t unusual for her), and leaned the side of her mobile against the glass. </p>
<p>The man was out of his car and walked briskly towards IKEA. The collar of his dark jacket was still covering half of his face, but Maisie snapped his photo with her mobile anyway.</p>
<p>“Got him?”</p>
<p>“Well, half of him,” Maisie answered as she scrolled through her mobile, frowning slightly. “I can’t tell if he’s magical or not.”</p>
<p>“Neither can I,” I confessed, matching her frown. “There’s only one thing left to do, then.”</p>
<p>“Oh, don’t say it,” groaned Maisie while Teddy leaned forward in the backseat, eagerly awaiting the next step in our mission.</p>
<p>“Let’s go shopping.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>--</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If Teddy’s gaze got any larger and shinier, I was sure the International Quidditch Association would try to claim his eyeballs as Snitches. </p>
<p>Maisie was lingering back in the car park to try to get the man’s license plate, so only Teddy and I were currently in the jungle that was IKEA. We stood in the dining section of the ground floor, and there was still no sign of our potential time traveler.</p>
<p>Maybe this guy worked in the warehouse, or on the first floor, or maybe he was only a customer, lost in this headache-inducing-sized crowd of people. </p>
<p>“I’ve <em>never</em> seen anything quite like this,” Teddy breathed as he eyed the shelf of different dishes and silverware sets with Swedish-sounding names that probably weren’t very Swedish to begin with.</p>
<p>I tugged at his sleeve, pulling him along. “This is on-the-job training, Teddy. I need you to look for any employees that look like our guy. I’m keeping an eye on the customers.”</p>
<p>“Right, sorry,” Teddy muttered. He stood erect, his eyes darting around the area.</p>
<p>“Not so obvious!” I hissed as I led him into the housing storage section. “Keep your scanning casual-like. Too many jagged and hyperalert movements arouse suspicion. The last thing you want is to make eye contact with an employee or any type of authority figure while you’re scouting.”</p>
<p>Teddy contorted his face for a second, probably trying to process my words, before his shoulders relaxed, and his eye movements slowed down considerably. “How’s this?”</p>
<p>“Much better.” I gave him a small smile before I pretended to turn my attention to a shelving unit. Instead, I eyed a dark haired man checking out storage cubes. He was wearing a green windbreaker and was shorter than the man from the Bellbridge post office. Sighing, I turned my attention away from him.</p>
<p>Teddy and I soon found our way to the first floor, which housed the showroom displays. It was then that Maisie texted me a picture of our guy’s license plate and wanted to know where we were, so she could join us. When I finally shifted my focus away from my mobile, different living spaces stretched across my line of vision, like little snippets of lives I could have lived.</p>
<p>Should have lived.</p>
<p>A bright and bold sofa set with sharp geometric shapes. A more subdued set of earth-tone cushions, with gentle and clever patterns on the throw pillows and rugs. A posh arrangement with animal print accessories. </p>
<p>All eating away at my vision, tempting me to take cover on one of the many couches or arm chairs. Little pieces of perfection, of what could be obtained.</p>
<p>Should be obtained.</p>
<p><em>Right. People watching. </em>Teddy gave a side eye to a male employee helping an elderly couple pick out a display for their summer cottage. I joined him again in his efforts, swallowing that damned lump in my throat that wanted to haunt me today.</p>
<p>We made our way to the bedroom section. A small child brushed past me as a weary mother called after her. </p>
<p>“So sorry,” she bemoaned, not really reaching my unamused look, as she made her way past me and caught her daughter before the child could jump on a princess-themed bed.</p>
<p>Teddy gripped my elbow. “Cho!” he whispered frantically. “Cho! I think that’s <em>him</em>!”</p>
<p>My gaze followed his line of sight to a paisley and purplish bedroom display. A young woman, a customer from the looks of her beige trenchcoat, faced a tall, dark-haired man in a yellow pinstripe shirt--the mark of an employee. </p>
<p>I blinked, getting a fresher look at him. He was definitely the man from the Bellbridge post office.</p>
<p>“Bloody hell,” I breathed. “We got him!” I whipped out my mobile and opened my camera, ignoring the texts from Maisie, who was annoyed that she hadn’t found us yet. “Hold up this throw blanket standing there, and I’ll pretend to snap its photo.”</p>
<p>Teddy obliged, moving to his indicated spot and holding the blanket low enough so I could capture a photo of our man without it seeming too obvious.</p>
<p>“What now? Do we approach him?” Teddy asked after I motioned for him to put down the blanket. He bit his lower lip.</p>
<p>I shook my head. “Not today. We need more intel on this man before we make contact.”</p>
<p>“But how do we do that?” Teddy wondered.</p>
<p>“Follow me.”</p>
<p>We strolled through the zigzagging paths of different beds, keeping our distance from the man. After the winding path of different beds, we finally entered the hodge podge of kitchen displays. I sauntered us over to another employee in a pinstripe shirt standing behind a sales counter.</p>
<p>“Excuse me,” I said brightly. Teddy hovered nervously behind me, probably absorbing my every move. “I’d like to fill out a comment card.”</p>
<p>The woman employee from behind the counter looked up and creased her brow. “Okay,” she said warmly. “I happen to have a pil here somewhere in this drawer. Can I ask you what it’s for?”</p>
<p>“Sure. It’s one of the salespeople back in the bedroom display area. The man with the dark hair and the large nose,” I answered.</p>
<p>Immediately, the woman stopped her search and peered at us. “What? Why? Was he bothering you? Ugh, I <em>told</em> him to stop talking to customers about Brexit and the upcoming American election--”</p>
<p>I held up my hands quickly. “No, no! Nothing like that. He… helped my friend here pick out the perfect bedroom set for his university dormitory.” Teddy waved shyly from behind me, a little surprised that I had pulled him into this conversation.</p>
<p>The woman relaxed her composure and gave us a relieved smile. “Oh… that’s… that’s great to hear! Yeah!” Her smile grew wider as she pulled up a stack of comment cards. “Here we go. Do you need a pen?”</p>
<p>“No thanks, I have my own,” I replied. “Can you tell me his name? I’d like to give him the proper credit.”</p>
<p>“Certainly! His name is Beni Hurisly.” Upon request, the employee gave us the spelling of his name. I could barely write, my fingers shook so much. “You can leave the card here or any sales counter or staff.”</p>
<p>I gave her a pleasant smile, which wasn’t forced because my heart was racing and I wanted to jump in sheer excitement over this development. “I want to write out a proper comment, thank you. We’re planning on stopping at the cafe before heading out today, can’t say no to those Swedish meatballs, so I’ll finish it then.”</p>
<p>The employee nodded. “All right. But please remember to return it to staff. Beni could really use this positive review.”</p>
<p>After assuring her that we would (we weren’t going to, obviously), Teddy and I beelined to the patio display section--well, as beelined as we could through the crooked path of kitchen displays. “There’s a cafe here?” asked Teddy in amazement. Once we reached a safe distance away from potential eavesdroppers, my mobile started to vibrate uncontrollably.</p>
<p>“Shit.” I had completely forgotten about our separated colleague. Pressing the green button on my screen, I help up my mobile to my ear and said, “Maisie, hey, I’m so sorry--”</p>
<p>“<em>Where are you?</em>” Maisie huffed on the other end. “This place is a bloody maze that I’m convinced wants to trap its prey inside forever, and I--”</p>
<p>“In the patio display section, first floor. Listen,” I interrupted her grumbling, “we found him. We got a name. Hurry!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: Hope you enjoyed this development! I had so much fun writing Cho's POV.</p>
<p>Shout out to Paula, my Nano pen pal who encouraged me in April to finish this chapter. It's now May, but I finally did it! And thank you to those who also showed me encouragement for this chapter as well, especially those in the HPFT Discord who selected IKEA as Beni's place of employment. &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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